Castle in the Clouds
by der kapitan
Summary: She was living a dream, where everything was perfect. And then he, that shinigami, reaped through it so that it was nothing more than a nightmare. : Shuuhei x OC : As if high school didn't come with enough problems.
1. enter the princess's kingdom

_Author's Note__:_

This was more or less spawned from obsessing over Bleach while trying to keep myself entertained in Vietnam. Multi-chaptered fics with an actual plot have never really been my strong point (I don't think I've ever gotten passed chapter five...), but hey, I'll try again. (Because the question, my friends, is not "why," but "why not.")

Though this will include canon pairings (rather, pairings I think should be canon), this will mostly be an OC-centered fic. If she ever starts looking like a Mary-Sue, pelt Gobstoppers at me, 'cause God knows this site has enough of those. Anyways, as always, comments and criticism are appreciated and looooved. (And rewarded with virtual candy, which, despite being virtual, is a real gift, for I can be rather stingy with it.)

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**Castle in the Clouds**  
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Chapter One_  
enter the princess's kingdom  
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_Opening Song:_ "Poker Face" - Lady Gaga

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_"Akon, report on the status of XXX-93A"_

_"Stabilized, Taichou."_

_"XXX-93B."_

_"Stabilized."_

_"XXX-93C."_

_"Stabilized."_

_"XXX-93D."_

_"Stabilized."_

_"Excellent." A grin stretched across a palely illuminated face as the tall, looming figure leaned towards the glass. Dark eyes lit up with excitement as he gave the final command: "Begin." Four white-cloaked men nodded their heads at the order before typing in their respective commands. A low hum resonated through the underground room as all the lights dimmed, save for the four beams of light casted upon the subjects. Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned triumphantly when the body of the first subject began to glow, and reiatsu gathered and morphed in front of him. Soon, reiatsu had gathered in front of the other three figures, each one shifting and morphing into a different form._

_The glass separating the testers from the subjects suddenly cracked, and the room was bathed in flashing red lights. "What the hell is going on!?" Kurotsuchi cried over the the wail of the sirens. "Akon, status report!"_

_The normally cool composure of the scientist was replaced with panic as he rushed over to the computers and began typing. "Something's gone wrong. The zanpakutou aren't stabilizing; there's been a bad reaction between the chemicals we injected and the original product."_

_"Dammit." Kurotsuchi fisted his hands at his side before banging one on the nearest computer. "Shut it down. This project's a failure."_

_"But Taichou, if we do that, the subjects will_―_"_

_"I know, dammit, but does it look like we have much of a choice!?" Akon, though he still looked reluctant, nodded before hurriedly typing in the command. The red lights stopped flashing and the sirens stopped, shrouding the entire room in darkness and silence._

"Daitokuji, pull that huge head of yours out of your little dreamworld castle and back into my classroom."

Arisu winced at the laughter and chortling that greeted her upon her return from her daydream. Tokudome Ran glared down at her through her moon-shaped spectacles, causing the auburn-haired female to sink further down into her seat. "Your parents don't pay countless amounts of yen for you to learn how to fall asleep with your eyes open!" She slapped her desk with a ruler and, with a final huff, the dark-haired teacher returned to the front of the class.

The redhead glared at the retreating back of her composition teacher as she pulled herself up in her seat. "_My mom and dad don't pay countless amounts of yen for me to be scolded by loveless hags either,_" she thought indignantly.

"If you glare at her any harder she'll drop dead," her friend Natsu teasingly warned.

She snorted. "Don't get my hopes up."

Kaihin High School might have been the ideal learning environment for every rich kid, what with the overly waxed floors, the too-large classrooms, and the cafeteria that outshined any five-star restaurant, but the staff was just like that of any other high school. Some teachers were pushovers, some teachers were kind but strict, and some teachers were just jerks. Unfortunately for Daitokuji Arisu, her homeroom and composition teacher happened to belong to the latter category.

So maybe the uptight stick of a woman wouldn't have been so livid with Arisu if she weren't always so demanding and high-maintenance. Yes, she interrupted class a couple of times to alert everyone of the new designer bag her oldest brother bought for her, and yes, sometimes was a bit snippy, but her parents were paying _a lot_ of money for her to go here, and she deserved respect! Tokudome Ran might have been a single, middle-aged woman who hated everyone who wasn't her pet cat, but that gave her no right to constantly harass her in front of the other students. Arisu had rights (and money), and she would not stand for this inexcusable treatment!

... So was her justification anyways.

Twenty minutes into class, just as Arisu was about to give into sleep yet again, the classroom door slid open. Tokudome looked towards the opening with a look of exasperation and irritation, though it was quickly masked with a look of pleasant shock when the school principal walked in. The stout man paid no attention to the students, who in turn paid no real attention to him, and instead walked right over to Tokudome. He had to stand up on his toes to whisper into her ear (some students allowed a couple chuckles and giggles to escape), and she uncharacteristically blinked in surprise. The surprise was swapped with a smile, an action that resulted in the shock of all her students.

"_And here I thought she was born with that ugly grimace,_" Arisu thought with a snort.

"Students, it seems as though we have a new arrival." Disregarding the fact that the tone of her voice was so sickeningly sweet that it had to be fake, the students of class 2-E, for the second time in two minutes, were shocked. Kaihin High, as renown as it was for its prestige and excellence in both academics and athletics, was very small and exclusive. It was rare to have someone enter the high school when they didn't already attend the brother elementary and middle schools, and it was even rarer to have someone enter after the school year had already started. There was even a famous rumor that the administration purposefully made the entrance exam near impossible to pass because they wanted to keep outsiders out. Thus, you needed to be incredibly rich and/or incredibly intelligent just to make it in.

"I wonder what he's like," the girl to Arisu's left murmured once Tokudome and the principal had gone outside.

"You automatically assume it's a he?" the boy in front of her asked.

She shrugged. "A girl can dream. I wonder what kind of company he owns. Ooo, I hope his parents aren't in the electronics business... Poppa wouldn't even let me talk to him."

"Assuming he'd even want to associate himself with someone as obnoxious as you."

"Oh, shut up, Shuuji!"

When the door slid open again, Tokudome walked in with a less ecstatic look on her face, though she was still wearing a smile. The corner of her lips twitched, as though wearing it was becoming very painful. "I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate. His parents are working overseas, so he'll be with us for the rest of the school year. He's new to Karakura, so please be kind to him." Some snorted, but then they were too overcome with shock to make a comment about the hypocrisy of her request.

The new student walked in with his shoulders back, his head held high, and his hands shoved nonchalantly into the pockets of his khaki uniform pants. His face, marked by three scars and a small tattoo, bore a look of indifference.

_"What a weirdo."_ That was the first thought to run through Arisu's mind.

_"Isn't he too old to be a high school student?"_ was the second.

"His name is Hisagi Shuuhei. I hope everyone welcomes you warmly." Tokudome smiled, though it was so strongly forced that it looked as though she was really suffering. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. Tokudome Ran was one of the most, if not _the_ most, ill-tempered teachers at Kaihin High, and she prided herself on the way she strictly enforced school rules. She was big on punctuality, tidiness, and appearance, to a point where it was almost considered obsessive compulsive. She didn't take kindly to hiked skirts, untucked shirts, or undone ties, and she was always screeching about excessive makeup and jewelry. She probably only had to glance at Shuuhei to decide she didn't like him.

Shuuji turned in his seat to grin slyly at the girl behind him. "Looks like you won't have to worry about him being in the electronics business after all, Suzume. Instead, you'll be marrying into the yakuza; your poppa will be so proud of you."

"Shut up, asshole," she hissed, though it was evident that she was just as disgruntled as Tokudome.

One of the twins near Arisu sighed dramatically. "Aiiiiyaa~ It looks like we were getting excited for nothing." Nageri shrugged and shook her head in disappointment. "Although..." She shifted her cobalt eyes to Shuuhei, closely observing him. "... We could have a little fun."

Arisu frowned when Nageri's contemplative gaze landed on her. "Whatever you're planning, I don't want anything to do with it."

"None at all?" her older twin asked with a grin.

"No," she replied adamantly, this time glaring at Shikatsu. The Bakin twins were fun when she was feeling particularly sadistic and felt like harassing someone, but otherwise it was best to avoid them. Like everyone else, the Bakin siblings trusted no one ― aside from themselves. Sure, they associated themselves with others, but it was only a matter of time before they used them for their own amusement. She had had her fun with them, and now they were probably planning on using her, too. Arisu knew that if she didn't want to suffer a horrible social death, she wouldn't agree to what they were planning now.

Despite her blatant refusal, the two exchanged a grin. There was no escape, was there? _"Oh good God."_

"Hmmm... Take that free seat next to Daitokuji. Daitokuji, do something useful for once in your life and raise your hand." Tokudome and Arisu exchanged a glare, though the former also bore a sly smile.

Arisu raised her hand despite her own feelings of uneasiness towards the stranger. This was the kind of guy you saw on those over-dramatized cop shows, the kind of guy who was stealing money from banks, getting into bar fights, and committing grand theft auto all in one night. Well, that was the kind of guy he was according to his appearance, and while many claim it's what's on the inside that counts, appearance was just as important at Kaihin High. These kids decided who would be their future business partners and their future spouses based on outward appearances, and people like Hisagi Shuuhei rarely made the cut. They were a shallow bunch, and they prided themselves in their exclusive tastes.

Needless to say, Arisu was no exception.

Shuuhei didn't seem to pay any mind to the condescending stares or the poorly hushed whispers, as he walked to his desk with the same look of difference he had when he entered. He took his seat next to Arisu without so much as a glance in her direction, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Class resumed, and ten minutes later, a pastel pink paper crane landed on her desk. Arisu blinked at it, then at its sender, who only looked forward with feigned innocence. Frowning, she carefully undid the folds of the crane to read Nageri's letter.

**We have a proposition for you.**

That definitely didn't mean anything good. Unfortunately, ignoring the Bakin twins would be a poor choice. Their father was a high-ranking politician with powerful connections, who also happened to be wrapped tightly around their fingers. Anything that upset them would prove to be troublesome for both her and her family, and if there was anything Arisu upheld, it was loyalty to her family.

Arisu was weary as she wrote down a reply and gave the simply folded note back to Nageri.

_yeah?_

**We think it'd only be polite to introduce ourselves to Hisagi-san. Unfortunately, since we don't have very much information on him, we're not sure if Father would approve.**

_... you want me to be your spy._ It wasn't a question, really. Arisu knew what they wanted; they wanted another toy in their toybox, someone to play around with once they got bored and someone to toss aside once they were done.

**Spy is such an ugly way of putting it.** That meant yes.

_what's in it for me?_

**We won't tell Father that you hacked into his system to dig up information.** She tensed. So it wasn't really a request or a command; it was blackmail. Last year one girl kept bothering her, so she thought she'd ask the twins for a little help in finding dirt on her. Now that she thought about it, she had more or less blackmailed the girl, and though it had gotten her to admit defeat, the whole thing seemed to backfire on Arisu. Sure, the twins were just as much at fault as her (for they had given her access to the system), but they had their father so whipped he'd believe any story they dished out.

_ugh, whatever._

**It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Daitokuji-san.**

_"Tch."_ Arisu scowled as she crumpled up the note and shoved it into her bag. She stole a quick glance in Shuuhei's direction, and fortunately his own eyes were focused (though with boredom) on the chalkboard. _"So all I have to do is gather information on him. No biggie."_ Despite her attempts to calm and reassure herself, she couldn't help the feeling of unease gathering in the pit of her stomach. She might have been particularly skilled at harassing and embarrassing those of her own social standing, but this stranger was a complete mystery to her. As much of an enigma as he was, however, Arisu knew he wouldn't be as easy as the others, which was irritating in and of itself.

She wracked through her brain for the rest of the class, trying to figure out a way to confront her new classmate. Unfortunately, by the time the bell rang, she ended up with the same amount she had at the beginning of her brainstorming session: nothing.

"Remember, Daitokuji-san," Shikatsu called from in front of her. She wearily glanced in his direction, in which she found that he and Nageri were already standing together with their book bags in hand. They wore identical expressions of amusement and satisfaction.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled as she began gathering her own books.

"Daitokuji, Hisagi-san, please join me for a moment." Arisu couldn't help but notice the animosity Tokudome used only with her name. Cursing the she-demon under her breath, along with all of today's horrible luck, Arisu put away the rest of her belongings and trudged up to the front of the room. Shuuhei stood by her side, though she was too busy shooting daggers at her teacher to really notice. "You probably didn't hear a thing I said earlier because you only use your ears to listen to yourself talk," (Arisu's eye twitched, and she could have sworn she saw Shuuhei smirking), "but Hisagi-san is fairly new to Karakura. I'm assigning you as his guide for the next couple of days."

Momentarily forgetting her deal with the twins, Arisu responded with an irate, "Eh!? Why _me_!?"

"Because you're a selfish brat, and by having you help someone, maybe I can save your soul from the depths of hell," Tokudome replied with a condescending smirk. "If you stop your obnoxious outbursts here, I'll forgive you and revoke the detention I'm about to give you for talking back to me."

As much as she might have hated Tokudome, Arisu hated spending her afternoons with her even more, and thus managed to keep her mouth shut.

"Now, it looks like the two of you have four minutes to get to your next class. I suggest you hurry so that you're not late." And in Tokudome language, that meant Arisu should take her time so that she'd be scolded and punished for being late. "Have a lovely rest of the day, Hisagi-san." Anyone could have sensed the insincerity behind her words, but rather than commenting like everyone else would have, Shuuhei smiled politely and nodded his head.

"Thank you."

"Ah, what manners! Perhaps Daitokuji will learn something from you; it'd be nice if the first information she retained in high school were manners."

"Alright, we're leaving," Arisu grumbled through gritted teeth, storming passed Tokudome and Shuuhei with her hands curled into fists. Both Tokudome and Shuuhei wore smirks, though Tokudome's was more of triumph while Shuuhei's was more of amusement. The dark-haired student bowed to his homeroom teacher before following his guide, unaware of the chuckling twins watching him from the corner of the room.

_"That woman makes me want to punch a baby. By the time I graduate, I'm going to publicly humiliate her, get her fired, and have her evicted from her house. ... And then I'll sell her cat to China."_ Arisu was too busy plotting the demise of her teacher to remember that she had someone she needed to escort to class.

Shuuhei managed to catch up with her in several long, quick strides; for someone with such skinny legs, she sure could walk quickly. He cleared his throat, and that seemed to pull her back down to their current setting. She stopped for a moment, remembering that she had no idea where her next destination was, and once again cursed Tokudome, blaming her for her embarrassment. "Uh, what's your next class?"

"Physics."

Her face contorted in disgust. "Gross." Being a hater of math and sciences alike (and really anything that wasn't fun), Arisu could never understand how someone would choose to take a class like physics. It was a combination of both math and science ― it was a disgusting child of disgusting parents. Unfortunately, as much as she might have wanted to avoid the science building, she really had no choice, because now she not only had two people watching her, but three. "Alright, it's this way," she said with a sigh.

He walked next to her as they headed towards the science building, something she wasn't too used to. Most people, save for those she chose to acquaint herself with and those who thought themselves to be better than her, chose to walk behind her. That's the way things worked at Kaihin High; the higher you were on the social ladder, the more respect you received, and the more people feared you. Fortunately for Arisu, she was very high on that ladder. Though that also made situations like this very awkward and uncomfortable.

Trying to brush aside the weary feeling, Arisu used this time to observe her new classmate more closely. He was tall, at least a head taller than her, and it looked like he had a fairly lean body. He wore the uniform nicely, though it wasn't as pristine as Tokudome would have liked: the khaki pants were neatly ironed, the short-sleeved white button-down was untucked and the first couple of buttons were undone, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled a couple of times, and the red tie was loosely done. He wore his uniform as casually as most of the other males in the school, so the only thing that really distinguished him from the others were his facial features.

His dark hair was slightly spiky and cropped short, and his black eyes seemed far too calculating for someone his age (though he still looked older than a second year high school student). Three scars ran vertically down the right side of his face, though they didn't seem to effect the vision in his right eye. A silver bandage stretched from the left side of his face over the bridge of his nose, stopping just short of his scars under his right eye. Printed underneath this was a bold '**69**' in plain black ink.

_"... I guess he's attractive in that weird, rugged, "badass" way that Natsu's obsessed with,"_ she admitted, though grudgingly. Her eyes drifted towards the rolled sleeves of his shirt. _"... He has nice arms, though."_

When she caught herself staring, she physically slapped herself, an action that brought her both a red cheek and Shuuhei's attention. "Um..." He seemed unsure how to respond. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she mumbled, trying to conceal her red face with her red hair.

Before she could find anymore ways to thoroughly embarrass herself, they had arrived at their destination. "This is it," she said with a bored tone. It was then, standing in front of the dreaded door, that she recalled the mission given to her by Nageri and Shikatsu. She was supposed to gather information on this guy, and in order to do that, she needed to be at least civil with him. Once again cursing her luck, Arisu sucked in any pride she might have had and extended her hand towards him. Shuuhei's eyebrows raised in surprise; clearly he hadn't been expecting it either. She forced a small smile, and realized that she hadn't given Tokudome enough credit; it really did hurt. "I guess I never really introduced myself. I'm Daitokuji Arisu."

He managed a small smile, though she was unsure as to whether or not he could sense the falseness behind hers. "Hisagi Shuuhei."

He reached out to shake her hand, and the moment his hand clasped around hers, she felt as though she were hit by a whirlwind. Everything began to spin, and she felt something like nausea rise in her stomach. She stumbled on her feet as she pulled her hand out of his, and he looked at her questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine... I just got really dizzy..." she mumbled as she raised a shaking hand to her head. "Um, you should get to class. I'll come get you afterwards." He nodded and headed into the classroom, though with obvious reluctance as glanced at her over his shoulder.

Once he was out of sight, Arisu rushed into the nearest bathroom and threw herself into the closest stall, locking it behind her. She pressed her back up against the cold surface of the door and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Even in darkness everything seemed to be spinning, but it was beginning to slow down. She didn't move when the tardy bell rang, choosing instead to slump to the ground with her head between her knees.

Arisu slowly opened her eyes, and once again everything was still. Her head was throbbing, though, and there was still a knot in her stomach. She raised a hand to her head, though she felt no signs of a fever. _"It all happened when I touched him, but... But that's just stupid. It was just a coincidence."_ She shook her head and slowly stood up. _"I didn't have breakfast this morning, and the whole thing with Nageri and Shikatsu just got to me."_ Though there was a part of her that was still unconvinced, Arisu pushed aside her doubts and exited the bathroom on shaky legs.

**...**

When Hisagi Shuuhei had been assigned to a mission in Karakura with Matsumoto Rangiku, he was ecstatic. When he had been informed that they'd have to pose as high school students, he was a little disgruntled, but was willing to do it. When he had been told that he and Rangiku would be attending different high schools, however, he was livid.

Just when he thought fate was smiling upon him, it ripped apart his hopes and dreams yet again. Fate really had no mercy for a certain 9th Division vice captain, did it?

"Oh, don't worry about it, Shuuhei!" Rangiku had said, slapping a reassuring hand on his back as she laughed. "I bet it'll be lots of fun!"

_"Easy for you to say,"_ he wanted to say. While Rangiku returned to Karakura High, Shuuhei would be working undercover on the other side of town, in a high school filled with rich snobs who hadn't worked a day in their lives. Shuuhei wasn't saying that out of personal prejudice either; Kurosaki told him when Rangiku dragged him along to go uniform shopping.

Unfortunately, splitting up was the most efficient way to do this mission. According to Yamamoto-soutaichou, there were strange readings coming from Karakura. Large clusters of reiatsu gathered together, though they were quick to appear and disappear. They never stayed in the same place, and it was impossible to pinpoint them from Soul Society. Shuuhei and Rangiku had been ordered to find the source of the reiatsu and carry through with whatever procedure was necessary. If it was a Hollow, they were to purify it; if it was a lost soul, they were to send it; if it were something else, they were to bring it back to Soul Society for further investigation. All in all, it was a fairly simple mission.

_"Simple... but annoying,"_ he thought as he stood outside the pristine, polished gates of Kaihin High. Students dressed in perfectly dry cleaned and pressed clothes were dropped off in stretch limousines, while teachers rolled into their parking spaces in million dollar cars. Shuuhei was beginning to wonder if this was worth strategizing with Rangiku for a whole ten minutes.

Once he conceded with the fact that he had no choice but to go in, Shuuhei entered the main building with his shoulders back and his head held high. He ignored the unashamed stares and the looks of awe he received from his soon-to-be classmates, though he did show slight irritation when the principal's secretary threatened to call security on him if he didn't leave the premises. The awkward encounter with the lovely lady aside, the meeting with the principal of Kaihin High passed smoothly. A slight memory alteration was all that was needed to ensure Shuuhei's place in the institute.

"I'm sure you'll come to love Kaihin as much as everyone else. The students and faculty here are all very kind and welcoming." The condescending stares directed towards him made him think otherwise. "Now, this will be your homeroom. Wait just a moment as I bring out your teacher." The woman the principal brought out was wearing a bright, cheerful smile, yet it instantly dropped the moment she set her eyes on him.

_"Yes, very welcoming,"_ he thought sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

She managed to pull it back on, though with some obvious difficulty. "Hisagi Shuuhei-san, is it? I am Tokudome Ran, your homeroom and composition teacher. I do hope you enjoy your stay here."

_"Liar."_

"Now, if you step into the classroom, I'll introduce you to your new classmates." He could only hope they were as kind and sincere as her. Sure enough, as soon as he entered the room he could deduce that they were. "I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate." And he shut her out from there.

While he was at the front of the classroom, he took the opportunity to look around, searching for anyone who could be a possible target. His body suddenly tensed, and his dark eyes instantly darted towards the back of the room. Whatever he had felt had already disappeared (had it even existed in the first place), though his eyes lingered on one auburn-haired girl in the second-to-last row. A frown tugged at his lips. _"What was that?"_

"Take that free seat next to Daitokuji," Tokudome's command cut through his thoughts. "Daitokuji, do something useful for once in your life and raise your hand." Sure enough, the very same girl raised her hand, though with obvious reluctance and disdain.

Shuuhei nodded and headed down the row before taking a seat next to the girl. He kept his eyes directed towards the front of the room, but he focused his attention on the slender female beside him. _"I definitely felt something. If that really was reiatsu, then it fits Yamamoto-soutaichou's description perfectly. Appearing and disappearing sequentially... This might be the one."_

Class went on without any resurgence of reiatsu, much to his disdain. Fortunately, fate seemed to finally understand its cruelty towards him, and managed to make his life a little easier through one Tokudome Ran. As he walked alongside his new "guide," however, he sensed nothing more from her. She did look rather... nervous, though. Being the polite gentleman he was, Shuuhei asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," was her curt reply. Obviously she had no intention of sharing anything with him.

He bit back a sigh. Maybe he would be better off if she wasn't the target; he'd been with her for five minutes and already she was being difficult. Thus, it was only natural that he showed shock when she suddenly grinned up at him and offered him her hand to shake. The grin was probably fake (for he had seen enough of those in his lifetime to pinpoint them on site), but it was better than nothing. "I guess I never really introduced myself," she said. "I'm Daitokuji Arisu."

He smiled in return, though he'd be lying if he said it wasn't forced as well. "Hisagi Shuuhei."

When he grasped her smaller hand in his, he felt a shock shoot up his arm, momentarily stunning him. Arisu, on the other hand, instantly pulled away, and her face was as white as a sheet. Shuuhei managed to mask his surprise, of both his and her reactions, and once again asked if she was alright. She told him she was fine, but the shivering of her body told her otherwise. Nevertheless, he nodded and walked into his next classroom so that he could decide what to do next.

_"What was that? I didn't sense any reiatsu, but..."_ He looked down at his hand and recalled the shock that resulted from their contact. _"It looks like I'll have to keep a close eye on Daitokuji Arisu for a while."_

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_Closing Song:_ "Northern Downpour" - Panic! At the Disco

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I know I didn't really get to go into Shuuhei's character here, but I wanted this chapter to focus mostly on Arisu. I promise you that we'll delve deeper into his character within the next couple of chapters. :3

Reviews always make an author haaapppyyyy~ -wink wink nudge nudge-


	2. dining with royalty

_Author's Note__:_  
I have the tendency to complain about work overload at the beginning of each year, but I don't even _do_ homework at home anymore. Maybe apathy just comes with growing up. In any case, that was just kinda my way of saying that schoolwork shouldn't get in the way of my writing. XD

Thank you to everyone for your positive feedback! :D It's been so long since I've written an OC story, so it's nice to know I haven't totally lost it. Special thanks to **Makichan123**, **Lauren**, **Alina**, **blacklighteningwolf**, **Eternity Crystal**, **blackghost7**, **Queen Espada**, and **mind . m a e l s t r o m **for reviewing~

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**Castle in the Clouds**  
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Chapter Two_  
dining with royalty_

_Opening Song:_ "Honestly" - Cartel

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Ochiai Masako was one of those teachers who the students could neither love nor hate. The man's love for science was true, but his desire to actually teach was questionable. He seemed to barely acknowledge the existence of his students, and the only thing that snapped him out of his euphoria when experimenting was when a student broke something. It was popular belief that the only reason he became a teacher at Kaihin High was because of the unlimited access to scientific supplies. His obsession was freakish at best.

During times like these, Arisu was thankful to have a teacher who was so oblivious to her existence that he wouldn't notice her missing from class. Ochiai's dedication to the class's latest experiment, which Arisu had to admit she knew nothing about, would probably keep him from taking attendance at all. Besides, he didn't seem to particularly like her when he did notice her anyways, so she was doing him a favor by picking the rooftop over his classroom.

Only half the day had passed, and Arisu still had to deal with lunch and the afternoon classes before she could go home. She had picked up and escorted Shuuhei to each of his classes, just as Tokudome had instructed, though there hadn't been much progress with the twins' request. She kept her distance from her dark-haired classmate, uttering replies when necessary but otherwise keeping to herself. Hisagi Shuuhei made her feel... uneasy.

Arisu was no psychologist, but she had learned how to read the people here fairly well. All of them were liars and most of them couldn't be trusted; their fake smiles were easy to see through and their condescending tones betrayed their sympathetic words. They were all jerks, but at least she could read them. Shuuhei was a different story.

She couldn't figure out for the life of her what the guy was thinking. Sure, he seemed nice and polite enough, but she had attended the Kaihin institutions long enough to know that _no one_ was that genuinely kind. He had no condescending tone or malicious glint in his eyes, but at the same time he almost always wore the same look of indifference, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking. She couldn't tell if he was being fake like everyone else or if he really was just nice.

_"I don't like him,"_ she decided.

Aside from the fact that she knew next to nothing about him, there was just something about him that didn't feel right. The moment his hand touched hers, she felt like she was burning, yet freezing at the same time. She had brushed it off as a mere coincidence at first, but it wasn't anything she wanted to experience again, so she kept her distance.

Lastly, for some reason, she felt as though he knew more than he was letting on. What it was he knew and why it bothered her so much was beyond her, but it only made her want to avoid Shuuhei even more. Unfortunately, she was in no position to make that decision, and she knew she was going to have to suck it up eventually if she didn't want the twins to ruin her life.

_**BRIIIIIIIIIING!**_

With that accursed ring of the bell, "eventually" became "now."

Sighing dramatically, Arisu hung her head in defeat. _"Now or never, I guess."_ Though with obvious reluctance, the redhead picked herself up, dusted off her plaid khaki skirt, and headed towards the main building. The whole "showing Shuuhei around" business more often than not led to her running to and fro, as for some reason almost all of their classes were located on different sides of the campus. Kaihin High might have been small population-wise, but the gated school was much larger than most other private and public schools, and thus made traveling between classes a bit difficult. And that was disregarding the fact that she had to take and pick up another student to and from his classes.

_"There is absolutely no mercy for me up there, is there?"_ She glared up at the heavens, whose clear blue skies only seemed to taunt her.

Shuuhei was already standing outside of his English class when Arisu reached him, though she didn't appear to look rushed or frantic. "Sorry," she apologized, though something in her tone betrayed any sincerity.

After the encounter in front of the Physics classroom, Shuuhei noticed her sudden aversion from him. Sure, she didn't look too thrilled to be paired with him in the first place, but now she was treating him as though he were the Black Plague. Her eyes were focused on everything and everyone but him, all of her answers were one-worded, and she kept so much space between them that he was starting to wonder if this gigai came with a putrid body odor.

In any event, his mission wasn't to bond with the target, so he probably shouldn't have been as miffed as he was. On top of that, he had yet to confirm that this was actually their target, as there had been no other signs of reiatsu. He found himself sighing; this mission was already proving to be troublesome, and it had only been five hours since it started.

"... lunch."

Shuuhei returned from his thoughts, only to find his guide watching him both with curiosity and irritation. The latter was poorly masked by the former. "Sorry," he offered sheepishly, though he was sure it meant as much to her as the dirt on the bottom of her polished school shoes. "What'd you say?"

"It's time for lunch," she repeated. She shifted from one foot to another and tucked a short lock of hair behind her ear, a sign Shuuhei took as both nervousness and apprehension. "C'mon. It's impossible to beat the rush now, but hopefully we'll get some good seats." She made it sound more like a movie matinée than buying lunch in a cafeteria, but he figured it was best not to question it. She looked annoyed enough as is, and the last thing he needed was another reason for her to dislike him.

Once again, she kept a good distance between them, though she seemed to be inwardly debating over something. Before he could refrain from doing so, Shuuhei, once again, asked, "Are you alright?"

His question quickly snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked genuinely embarrassed to be caught drifting off. "Sorry. I'm just thinking. _About how much my life sucks and how, if murder wasn't punishable by law, two twins would be twenty feet under._"

Something made him highly doubt it was just that, but before he could really think it over he was suddenly overcome with awe. "This is the cafeteria, obviously. Come on, let's get in line." Though he followed Arisu, his attention was focused on everything but her. To call this place a cafeteria was an insult ― he had yet to step foot into any restaurant that looked anything like this. The room was as large as a ballroom, the white tile floors were perfectly waxed and polished, glittering chandeliers dangled from above, and maroon curtains were drawn back by golden ropes to let in the sunlight. Long tables and ornately carved chairs of fine oak took up the center of the room, while a myriad of buffet tables lined up around them. This "cafeteria" would put any five star restaurant to shame. (Not that he had ever been in a five star restaurant before, but that was aside the point.)

Arisu must have noticed his awe, because out of the corner of his eye he saw her smirking, though it was quickly replaced with a small smile. "Nice, huh? Was your last school's cafeteria like this?" There was a sort of challenging tone in her voice.

Shuuhei thought back to the dining hall in the 9th Division compound and the cafeteria in the Shinigami Academy. Neither was _bad_, per se, but when comparing it to a place like this they might as well have been mud pits. "Not really," he replied honestly.

He thought he saw triumph in her gray eyes, though it might have just been his imagination. "Hmm, well it's not _that_ great. Sometimes the food's kinda cold and sometimes we run out of seats."

He almost snorted. _"How tragic."_

There were probably more choices here than in any food court in any mall, but Shuuhei contented himself with the bento box Rangiku and Orihime had prepared for him. The food inside might have been questionable at best, but it would have been rude to reject it. Aside from that, Rangiku had just looked so excited when he accepted...

"Umm, alright, whatever suits your fancy, I guess." He quickly removed the small grin from his face when he remembered he wasn't alone. Arisu was looking at his lunch skeptically, as though she expected an eel to wriggle its way out of it. She tore her eyes away from the box in order create a salad on a glowing piece of china, then picked up a glass bottled water. Her eyes grazed over the crowd for only a second before she nudged her head in the direction of the back door. "Let's go eat outside."

There were ornate tables and chairs even behind the cafeteria, and Arisu opted for one underneath the shade of a large sakura tree. Shuuhei noticed how it almost seemed to be isolated from everyone else, but decided against mentioning it.

"So." He looked up from his bento, in which most of the food in the compartments admittedly looked inedible, to find Arisu poking at her salad uncomfortably. "How's your day been so far?" She didn't raise her eyes to meet his.

"Alright," he replied, and he found himself poking at his food as well. He thought he saw one of the octopi wiggle. "Everyone here's..." He paused, trying to find a word that would neither be insulting or a lie. Sure enough, he came up with nothing.

"Yeah, I know, they're great," she snickered.

He felt something along the lines of "hypocrite" was necessary, but he once again kept himself from commenting.

"So where exactly are you from again?"

He racked through his brain, quickly trying to come up with a back story. "Tokyo," was the first city to come to mind.

Her eyebrows rose in genuine curiosity. "Oh, really? You're from the big city? Well, I guess I can see that..." He wasn't sure if that was supposed to be an insult or a compliment. "Tokudome said your parents went overseas. What do they work as?"

"They're, uh, business people." Even he had to admit that was pathetic; his quick-thinking skills were getting rusty.

That appeared to satisfy her, though, and she didn't seem to care for the details. "Yeah, my older brother's in business, too, and he goes out of the country a lot. I don't really know what he does, but I guess it doesn't really matter." She shrugged. "So are you staying by yourself while they're gone?"

All these questions made him feel like he was at a job interview with a possible employer rather than at lunch with a peer. And, like many people who went into job interviews, he felt rather unprepared, even if the questions were simple. "No, I'm staying with my..." He was tempted to say "girlfriend," but his more sensible side kept him from doing so. "... cousin and her friend. They both go to Karakura High."

"Oh, that's the public school on the other side of the city, right?" She didn't sound too impressed when she asked, and he couldn't help but notice the almost-sneer when she said the school's name. "I know a couple people who go there."

He only nodded, and once again an uncomfortable silence fell over them. Shuuhei tried to focus on his lunch, but after a taking one bite out of the mustard-covered rice, he decided it'd be against his better judgment to eat anything else, even if Rangiku did make it. "So... Do you make your own lunches?" Arisu was staring intently at his lunch, a look between curiosity and disgust on her face. He could already tell what she was thinking: _"He picked __**that**__ over the food in the cafeteria?"_

"No, no, I can't cook." She continued to stare at his lunch, which was certainly no culinary masterpiece. You probably didn't need any skill at all to make something like this. "My, ur, cousin and her friend made it." Calling Rangiku his cousin made him feel uncomfortable; incest wasn't something he was really into.

"Oh." Whether it was her almost nonexistent conscience kicking in or the simple fact that she couldn't come up with anything, Shuuhei wasn't sure, but Arisu said nothing more after that. The look on her face was enough to tell him all, though; she probably felt sorry for him. "... Do you want some of my salad?"

_"It's probably poisoned."_ He opened his mouth to (politely) turn down her offer, but his stomach intervened, growling in hunger and disapproval. He turned a light shade of pink as she unsuccessfully held back a chortle and pushed her plate towards him.

"No, really, go for it. I had a big breakfast."

"Thanks," he said gratefully, though sheepishly.

"Mmhmm." She leaned forward and propped her elbow up on the table so that she could rest the side of her face in her palm. Even as he began to fill the void in his stomach he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched like a zoo animal.

He was halfway done with the greens when she began to tap her fingers against her cheek, a look of boredom on her face. Clearly he wasn't as interesting a spectacle she had expected him to be. "Oh, what class do you have next?" He still had a leaf dangling from his mouth as he dug through his pockets in search of his schedule, in which he missed Arisu's look of mixed amusement and disgust.

"Uh... Looks like I have Phys. Ed. next." He almost breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a class that didn't require trying to remember things he had learned over a century ago.

"Well, that's convenient; I have PE, too. Looks like I won't have to run across campus for once."

"Sorry," he apologized sincerely, offering a small simper. "I didn't think Tokudome would have you take me to all of my classes." He didn't have to be a Kaihin High veteran to know how ridiculously large the campus was. Even with his own escort, going to and from classes was a journey, and he could only imagine the small female across from him running to and fro just to get to her own classes on time.

She looked taken back by the genuine apology, as though she had never received one before. "D-don't worry about it," she replied, obviously flustered. He bit back a chuckle.

She cleared her throat as she pushed herself away from the table and stood up, still looking rather uncomfortable. "The gym is still on the other side of the school, so we might as well head over there now. We only have like seven minutes before the bell rings," she said as she glanced at the large clock on the school's tallest building.

"Sure." He stood up, picking up his plate, but she shook her head as she reached out to grab a hold of his arm. She stopped, however, and quickly retracted her hand, an almost pained look on her face.

"Just leave it," she said as she awkwardly rubbed her hand. "The cafeteria workers'll get it."

His brow furrowed. "But I can just bring it in there. It's no problem."

"It's their job. Just leave it," she insisted, now looking rather bothered.

_"I guess laziness comes with money,"_ he thought, somewhat disgruntled, though he left the plate on the table. He trailed after her, with one hand shoved into his pocket and the other holding on to his book bag, and looked around him. The majority of the students sat within the restaurant-like cafeteria, and those that chose to sit outside sat at either a finely decorated table or on an elaborately stitched blanket. He couldn't help but wonder how much it cost for each student to go here for one year. Of course, they themselves probably had no idea; their parents were the ones who dealt with the money, after all.

"Daitokuji-san!" Arisu's wince didn't go unnoticed by Shuuhei, but he didn't say anything as a set of twins came running up to them, both of them grinning ear-to-ear. Both had light brown, almost blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

"Shikatsu, Nageri," she greeted through gritted teeth.

"Isn't it a lovely day today, Daitokuji-san?" The girl, whose curled hair was tied back into a half ponytail with a white ribbon, flashed a smile, revealing perfectly straight white teeth.

"Indeed," was her grumbled reply.

"Ah, and you must be Hisagi-san." The boy's smile mirrored his sister's both physically and otherwise; Shuuhei couldn't tell if there was any genuine warmth coming from it. "I believe we're in the same homeroom and composition class. My name is Bakin Shikatsu, and this is my younger sister, Nageri."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," they chimed.

"_That was a bit creepy._ Yeah, nice to meet you," he returned, managing a smile.

"Well, I think we should be taking off now, don't you think, Nageri? We wouldn't want to be late to our next class."

"Of course, Shikatsu. Daitokuji-san, Hisagi-san, we'll be taking our leave now." Shikatsu and Nageri exchanged a look with Arisu, though the latter quickly averted her eyes. Nageri giggled and Shikatsu chuckled before they both bowed and dismissed themselves.

Shuuhei glanced at Arisu, who looked both disgruntled and shaken up. "Friends of yours?"

His question seemed to catch her off guard, and she practically jumped in her skin before poorly covering it up with a laugh. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He didn't have to be a genius to sense the lie. "C'mon, let's get to class." Wordlessly, he followed after her, though he couldn't help but glance in the direction the twins ran off.

**...**

"Sooo, how was your first day, Shuuhei?"

The dark-haired vice captain managed to mask his disdain as Orihime slid a bowl of... something in front of him. "It was, uh..." He wasn't sure what to say; whether it was because of how horrible school was or how horrible this concoction of Mystery X looked he wasn't sure.

Rangiku, who was gobbling down her bowl of Mystery X next to him, attacked him with another question before he could even come up with an answer for the first. "Did you make any friends? Were the people nice? Are the uniforms cute?"

He prodded at the noodle-like substance with his chopsticks, a thoughtful yet apprehensive expression on his face. "Not really, no, and... I don't think I can answer that."

As Rangiku mulled over his answers, Orihime sat across from him with her own bowl of the same food. "You're going to Kaihin High, right Shuuhei-san?" He nodded. "I've only passed by it a couple times since it's on the other side of town, but the campus looks beautiful."

"Mmm, yeah, the _campus_ is nice," he agreed. _"Even if it is unnecessarily large."_

"No one cares about the campus!" Rangiku exclaimed as she began prodding his shoulder with her finger. "What about the people? Tell me about the people!"

Once again, Shuuhei was unsure of what to say. If he said that all of them were jerks and brats, which they were, Rangiku and Orihime probably wouldn't believe him. Orihime especially; she always saw good in others that was invisible, and probably nonexistent, to everyone else. "I think I found our target," he said, successfully (or not) dodging the question.

Rangiku's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Already?"

"Yeah, she was in my homeroom. But..." His brow furrowed when he remembered how he had sensed no reiatsu from her after that one class. Sure, they had spent most of their classes on opposite sides of the campus, but he would have noticed if it came up again. At the same time, he wasn't sure how regular these sparks of reiatsu were supposed to be. As much as the 12th Division captain disturbed him, maybe it would be best if he consulted him.

"Shuuhei?"

Quickly shaking his head, Shuuhei smiled apologetically. "It's just an assumption. I haven't found enough to decide that she really is the target."

"Well, you're a whole step closer than I am," Rangiku said, completely disregarding his earlier silence. "I didn't sense anyone!" She sighed dramatically, drooping her head, though when Orihime slid another bowl of Mystery X in front of her she immediately perked up. "I mean, there was nothing! No new students, no suspicious students, no creeps that sit in the corner... And I don't even really know what I'm looking for."

The description that Yamamoto-soutaichou had given them was simple, yes, but it was also vague. They didn't know if they were chasing after Hollows, Arrancar, or supposedly normal humans. The only clue they had been given were the random bursts of reiatsu, and even that was a difficult lead to follow.

"Maybe we should talk to Kurotsuchi-taichou," he suggested, weariness evident in his voice.

Rangiku physically expressed her distaste for his comment. "Ehhh, isn't it a little too early in the game to go to _him_?"

"Maybe, but I'd feel more comfortable if we had a better idea about what we were looking for," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda feel like we're just grasping in the dark."

"But you just said you thought you found our target. I think that's a good enough lead for now," she insisted.

He flashed an amused smile. "You just don't want to talk to Kurotsuchi-taichou."

"Yeah, well, he weirds me out!" she replied indignantly. "Besides, it's only been the first day. Maybe we'll find out more tomorrow. Yamamoto-soutaichou didn't really give us a time limit or anything, so it's not like we need to rush." Or, in other words, she wanted to have as much fun as possible while in the human realm. "C'mooon, Shuuhei!" she pleaded when she saw the apprehension on his face. "We just got here, and look, Orihime would just be so lonely if we left just left!" Shuuhei glanced at Orihime, who blinked innocently upon hearing her name. "She was nice enough to take us into her house, and now you just wanna _leave_ her?"

Shuuhei sighed, though it took quite a bit to hide the blush that rose when she began clinging to his arm. "Alright, alright, I get it. We'll stake it out for another week, but if we come up with nothing, we'll have to contact Soul Society."

She squealed before throwing her arms around him in a hug, successfully drawing out a bright blush. "That's all I ask~"

"Shuuhei-san? Aren't you hungry?" Orihime asked, cocking her head to the side.

Shuuhei guiltily looked down at his untouched bowl, grateful that his stomach didn't betray him like it did earlier this afternoon. "I had a big lunch," he lied.

"Oh, so you enjoyed our bento box, then?" Rangiku nearly squealed, grinning as she clapped her hands together joyfully.

He nearly winced at the memory of his almost-lunch. "Y-yeah, it was great."

"I'm so glad you liked it! Rangiku-san and I were trying out some new recipes and we were afraid you wouldn't like them." The way Orihime beamed at him made him feel even more guilty for shoving the bento to the bottom of the trash can.

"You want us to make you another one?" Rangiku inquired excitedly.

"I think we're almost out of food," Orihime mumbled, a small pout on her lips. "I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while... We can all go together tomorrow, though!"

Shuuhei inwardly breathed a small sigh of relief. He had nearly foolishly proclaimed, "Yes!" to Rangiku's offer. Ah, blind love. "That's alright. They have a big cafeteria, so I have a lot of options."

"Well, that's alright, then. Once we go shopping tomorrow, we can start making one for you everyday!" Rangiku gushed, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

Shuuhei paled. "Y-you don't have to―" His body suddenly tensed, as did Rangiku's. Orihime looked from him to her questionably, a question mark more or less written on her face. "There it is!" Without another word, he jumped to his feet and ran out of Orihime's apartment, the two females right behind him.

"Shuuhei, was that the reiatsu you felt this morning?" Rangiku asked once she caught up to him.

He nodded. "I think so." His answer was slightly hesitant, though the strawberry blonde didn't seem to sense it, and if she did she said nothing. The reiatsu he currently sensed was familiar and much like the reiatsu emitted from Arisu, but it was certainly different. It felt more powerful, and it was already lasting much longer than what he had sensed earlier. "It's nearby." Once he was certain he had pinpointed it, however, it vanished.

"Dammit..." He rounded the corner of the shopping district, where singles, couples, and groups alike walked up and down the street. Rangiku stopped next to him, and Orihime showed up moments later, panting ever-so-slightly.

The vice captain of the 10th Division gnawed on the corner of her lip. "We lost them."

**...**

With five large bags in hand, Daitokuji Mika headed home, glancing over her shoulder only once to get a look at the three strangers at the entrance to the shopping district. Her strawberry glossed lips quirked downwards ever-so-slightly, but she showed no other signs of acknowledgment before directly turning her attention to the road ahead of her.

The large, Victorian-styled house was only about a seven minute walk from Karakura's largest shopping district. It stood out in the neighborhood of conservative homes, both in size and other outward appearances. High, polished gates fenced it off from its side neighbors, sakura trees dotted the lawn, and a small pond with a bridge sat in front of the building. A large two car garage extended the house's already gargantuan size, yet a silver sports car sat in the drive way.

The owner of said car kicked open the front door with a loud, "I'm hoooooome~"

A groan resounded from within the home, barely concealed by the volume of the TV. Mika walked into the living room, where she found her younger sister flipping through the channels with a bored expression on her face. "And here I thought you fell into a well and died," she commented blandly, never tearing her eyes away from the flashing screen.

"I love you, too, baby sister," she said through gritted teeth, roughly tangling her auburn hair.

"OW! You bitch!" Arisu chucked the remote at Mika, who quickly ducked to avoid a black eye.

"What the hell are you trying to do, you little leprechaun!? Maim me!?" She slapped her head with the back of her flip-flop, in which the shortest Daitokuji promptly launched herself at her. Both she and Mika shrieked as they fell to the ground, though they wasted no time in tugging on clothes and yanking on hair.

"Good-freaking-God, will you give it a rest?" Kichiro wandered into the living room with an evidently irritated expression on his face. His brown hair was tussled and heavy bags hung under his chocolate eyes, signs of a hard day's work at the auto shop. "Man, I hate it when Seiichi's away... Leaves me to babysit you two retards."

"Hey, don't classify me with her!" Arisu growled, pushing Mika's face away with a rough shove.

"Please, like I enjoy being grouped together with a goblin," Mika hissed, successfully kicking Arisu off of her. "Geez, did you gain weight or what? You nearly flattened me, you fatty." Before Arisu could propel herself at Mika again, Kichiro stepped between them, pushing Arisu back by her forehead and tugging on Mika's long ponytail.

"Alright, we're gonna stop this," he said tiredly, heaving a heavy sigh.

"Graaah, whatever! I'm going to my room." Slapping away Kichiro's hand with an indignant growl, Arisu stomped up the stairs, grumbling loudly.

"Is it really necessary to aggravate her like that?" Kichiro asked as Mika tugged her hair out of his grasp.

"Hey, it's not like she _has_ to respond to me." Mika shrugged indifferently as she readjusted her dark hair. "Anyways, we have more important things to talk about." The suddenly serious look on her face worried Kichiro more than anything, and he found himself sighing again.

"Damn, don't I ever get a break?"

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "Apres Moi" - Regina Spektor

**

* * *

**

I know it's going a bit slowly, but the foundation has (mostly) been set, so things should start speeding up from here on out. :3 Anywho, again, thanks to everyone for reviewing~ You guys rock ― to the EXTREME! (Kudos if you can tell what animanga I've been indulging myself in. -shot-)


	3. prima donna

_Author's Note__:_

LOL I'M SUCH A JERK.

I'm sorry it took me about five million years to get this out. I wrote just about _nothing_ my senior year of high school aside from my NaNoWriMo novel and I fell out of touch with Bleach for a while. I occasionally went back to read this, though, and it made me really sad that I had dropped it because I had so much planned. I brought it out of the "Gross Old Stuff" file every now and then, but I never wrote anything else, so I kept returning it.

But now, after finally catching myself up on all the chapters (I spent literally all day reading nothing but Bleach the other day), I am inspired and my love for Bleach has returned and intensified! It will always be my baby fandom. ; w;

Thank you so so so _so_ much to everyone who reviewed despite my being a horrible author. **Queen Espada**, **mind . m a e l s t r o m**, **Claamchowder**, **Eternity Crystal**, **sanzo-reload**, **kitten652**, and **Onepiecewonder** - you're all awesome! :D

* * *

**Castle in the Clouds  
**a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Chapter Three  
_prima donna_

_Opening Song:_ "time machine" - Alice Nine

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo had learned to expect less than normal mornings. He had learned to expect his flamboyant father kicking his way into his room. He had learned to expect the whining of an obnoxious stuffed animal longing for his "onee-san." He had even learned to expect shinigami crawling out from his closet. That being said, he couldn't help but be slightly disappointed in himself when he cried out in surprise upon returning home from school.

"R-Rangiku-san! Hisagi! What are you doing here!"

The two shinigami, along with Orihime, Ishida, and Chad were seated at the dining room table, each of them sipping a cup of tea. "How the hell did all of you even get in here!" His brown optics darted around his home, searching for some sign of forced entry.

"Karin-chan let us in," Orihime chirped merrily.

"You should stop being a delinquent and come home after school so that your sister isn't left to watch the house alone, Kurosaki," Ishida added, calmly sipping his tea.

"Shut the hell up! What are all of you even doing here?" the berryhead demanded again, now seething.

"Maa, maa, there's no need to yell, Ichigo~" Rangiku flicked her wrist up and down with a goofy grin on her face. "Can't friends just stop by and say 'hello'?" The eldest Kurosaki was tempted to ask, 'Since when were all of you classified as friends?,' but he gave in with a sigh and took the last remaining seat at the table. "We've been waiting here for a while, though, Ichigo. What were you doing?"

He shrugged. "Keigo wanted to go to the mall." He decided to leave out the fact that the over dramatic brunet had clung to his leg and sobbed so loudly that Ichigo had no choice but to go. He scratched the back of his head in irritation at the memory, then scowled at the new problem (rather, problem-to-be) in front of him. Over the past couple of years he had learned that with shinigami came trouble, and that trouble resulted in a chain of unfortunate events that drew him in whether or not he wanted to be involved. "Seriously. Why are you two here?"

Rangiku pouted. "You're no fun, Ichigo."

"We've been assigned another mission," Shuuhei answered, smiling apologetically.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Ichigo listened with vague interest as Shuuhei explained the situation, with Rangiku adding a comment or two along the way. So there were random bursts of reiatsu originating in Karakura (_of course_ it had to be Karakura; all problems dealing with Soul Society just _had_ to take place in his hometown), and they were sent here to clean it up. It sounded like an easy enough mission to him. "Sounds like fun," he said tonelessly once the dark-haired shinigami had finished his explanation.

"Oi, you could at least pretend you care," Rangiku scolded with a pout.

He shrugged. "It sounds like the two of you can handle it yourselves."

"Well, that's how it sounds like at first," Shuuhei replied, strategically cutting off a seething Rangiku. "We've already encountered a couple problems while we've been here," he admitted with slight embarrassment.

Ichigo couldn't help but groan. "God, and you've been here for, what? Two days?"

Before either of the shinigami could answer, a tired, "Oiii, Ichi-nii," interrupted the conversation. All eyes shifted to Karin, who in turn paid no mind to the plethora of guests sitting at the Kurosaki dining table. "Remember to pick up Yuzu from her ballet lessons. Dad says he's gonna be working over time today so he won't be able to."

"Yeah, whatever. What time does she get out?"

"Six."

Ichigo looked at the clock before giving his sister a deadpan look. "Karin, it's five fifty-five."

The twin shrugged indifferently as she headed back to her room. "Guess you better hurry than."

Biting back a curse, Ichigo got out of his seat and walked towards the door, stopping only when he realized that five pairs of eyes were following him curiously. _"Yeah right, like leaving all of them in my house is gonna make them disappear."_ Turning to face all of them with a glare, he pointed out the open door. "All of you, get out."

"But Ichigoo~! We're not discussing the problem yet," Rangiku persisted.

"It's not a problem until it's threatening the state of the world," he snapped irritably. "And my house is not a meeting place! Get out!"

One by one, each of his guests headed out the door, with only Ishida commenting, "What horrible hosting skills."

Ichigo's brow twitched, though he said nothing to the Quincy as he slammed the door shut behind him. Each party went their separate way, with Orihime, Rangiku, and Shuuhei heading west, Ishida heading south, and Chad heading east. Ichigo shook his head at the company before heading north, towards the local ballet studio.

The Karakura Ballet Studio was fairly small, as it had previously been a thrift store in a small shopping mall before the current owner bought it. The owner and head instructor claimed to have been a Prima Donna at the Russian ballet, and though Ichigo doubted she could even speak a word of Russian, she certainly had the diva-like attitude. She shrieked at the ten-year-old students (in an obviously fake accent) almost as much as she slammed her diamond-encrusted staff on the wood floor. All in all, Ichigo tried to avoid contact with Amamiya Harue as much as possible.

He peered into the small studio, automatically cringing when he spotted the familiar gaudy fur coat. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath as he slipped inside. Fortunately, Amamiya seemed so preoccupied with harassing one of her students that she failed to notice him entering. He shimmied along the wall, towards a dark corner, where no one would―

"So, did you finally get sick of loitering around town like a creep, Kurosaki?"

He twitched at the high, oh-so-feminine voice that betrayed his location. "Mind your own business, Daitokuji," he replied tartly, glaring at the tiny female.

"You know," she continued with a sly look, "we're giving a discount for the first month for newcomers. I'd be more than happy to take another Kurosaki under my wing."

Yuzu's head popped out from behind Arisu, revealing wide, questioning eyes. "Onii-chan? Is it time to go already?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's six."

"Okay, let me go get changed first." Yuzu skipped off the wooden floor, towards the girls' dressing room in the corner.

Ichigo sighed irritably as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't want to spend anymore time in this place than absolutely necessary. "I'm surprised you're even here," Arisu commented offhandedly. "You look like you just ate road kill."

_"I'd rather eat road kill than be here,"_ he thought with a deadpan expression. "Why wouldn't I wanna be here? I get to hang out with lovely people like you." They shared a sarcastic smile. "Did you get demoted or something?" he asked, glancing around at the younger students.

She scowled. "You don't get demoted in ballet, dumbass. I'm helping Amamiya-sensei teach the class."

"Did I hear my name?" Arisu grinned at the look of pain on Ichigo's face as the flamboyantly dressed instructor strode towards them. "Oh! Young Master Kurosaki, I didn't see you come in. Have you come to join us?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows in a way that thoroughly weirded him out.

He wearily took a step backwards. "Uh, no, I'm just picking up Yuzu."

Amamiya's ruby red lips shifted into a frown. "For shame. We could use more men like you in the program." She rested a hang on his bicep, causing him to visibly shiver and jump back. While Amamiya furrowed her brow in confusion, Arisu snickered loudly.

"Yeah, Kurosaki," the redhead began snidely, "grace us with your _manly wiles_."

"Yuzu!" an abused Ichigo shouted. "Hurry up!"

Like an angel descending from Heaven, Yuzu came skipping out of the dressing room, flats and bag in hand. "What's wrong, Onii-chan?" she asked, curiously looking between her brother, senpai, and instructor.

"We gotta go," he grumbled, already halfway out the door.

"Be sure to take my offer into consideration!" Amamiya cried after him. "Try and convince your brother again, yes, Yuzu-chan?" she requested, smiling brightly at the little girl.

Yuzu nodded determinedly. "Yes, sensei!" With a confident gleam in her eye, she exited the studio in pursuit of her brother.

Amamiya sharply turned towards her assistant. "Is it necessary to harass him like that?"

Arisu scoffed dismissively. "Please, sensei, he probably trips over his own feet while getting out of bed. For him, signing up for ballet would be like signing up for a suicide class."

"But I think he would make fine addition to the studio," she mumbled with a small pout.

Arisu nearly gagged. _"Gee, I wonder why."_

"Anyways, Arisu, please finish up the fifth position with that group over there. You can change and head home after that."

"Sure." She walked over to the small group in the corner, which was composed of three girls and one boy. "Alright, left hand on the bar, then first position..."

…

To say that Arisu was disgruntled would have been a massive understatement. On top of waking up to discover that Mika had eaten all of her dango (_again_), she also found that her skirt hadn't been properly dry cleaned, all of her socks were mix-matched, her straightener had magically disappeared, and Mika and Kichiro had failed to inform her that they had to leave early that morning, so she was forced to _walk_ to school. If that wasn't bad enough, Ochiai-sensei had tonelessly explained to her that she was failing his class and needed a tutor, Tokudome berated her in the hallway in front of everyone for wearing a skirt "that was probably small enough to fit a five-year-old child," and now she was being forced to run the mile in Physical Education.

If there was a God, he truly had no mercy.

"You're over exaggerating," Natsu snorted as they rounded the corner and finished off their third lap.

"Do I currently look like someone you should be saying that to?" she hissed, a growl resonating in the back of her throat. The short-haired female winced at the sharp glare she received from her friend and muttered a quiet apology under her breath. "God, I hate this class," she breathed irritably as she huffed a lock of hair out of her face.

"It's not that bad," her friend offered, each word followed by a hard intake of breath. "We only have one more lap to go."

"I hate running," was her final comment.

Glancing over at the bleachers, she spotted the small group of students who had already finished their mile. Sure enough, Shuuhei was among them, and despite the thin layer of sweat glazed over his face, he didn't the least bit exhausted. Glancing down at her own legs, which felt as though they were about to give out and/or fall off, she was suddenly very jealous of his athletic physique. Sure, she was a ballerina, and sure, she had strong leg muscles, but this type of cardio work out wasn't her thing. On top of that, she was just like every other teenage girl: she hated sweating.

"So," Natsu began, in a tone that made Arisu instinctively arch an eyebrow, "I hear you and Hisagi-san have been hanging out a lot."

Choking back her groan at the mention of his name, she merely snorted. "Huh. Really?"

It had been a week since Hisagi Shuuhei's enrollment in Kaihin High School, which meant it had been a week since Tokudome had assigned her as his guide, which meant it had been a week since the Bakin twins had enlisted in her aid for their own ulterior purposes. Granted, that also meant that it had been a highly unsuccessful week in which nothing had been accomplished, but Arisu liked to think of herself as an optimist.

She just couldn't bring herself to actually converse with the teen. The Bakins' request (aka blackmail) had urged her on occasion to utter a greeting, and Shuuhei himself seemed nice enough, but he just made her _uncomfortable_. She hadn't even attempted to sit next to him ever since they shook hands his first day here. Though she had brushed it off as nothing more than nausea, her subconscious remained weary of him; it told her to stay away, that he wasn't safe. His appearance had said that enough, but his personality was kind and calm. Everything about him seemed paradoxical, so perhaps that was the root of her uneasiness.

"… Are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot." Arisu managed a sheepish grin when Natsu eyed her wearily. The brunette sighed and shook her head disappointedly. "I mean, I get if you don't wanna talk about it. I mean… he _is_ kinda weird, but I wouldn't condemn you, you know. He's nice."

A look of genuine confusion struck her face. "Wait, what are we talking about?"

Now Natsu looked worried. "Hisagi-san. We're talking about Hisagi-san. Seriously, Arisu, are you feeling alright? Is your lack of dango effecting your brain?" The scowl she received reassured her that Arisu was fine, and she couldn't help but laugh, which in turn deepened the scowl. "I don't think I've ever seen you get attached to a boy so quickly before."

Arisu began to sputter so badly that both of them had to stop in the middle of the track, with Natsu patting her on the back. "What… W-what! WHAT!"

"Ah ha ha, nothing to see…" Natsu murmured awkwardly as other students ran passed them, watching them with amusement and curiosity.

"What are you _talking_ about!" she wheezed when she finally caught her breath. She quickly played the last week through her mind, trying to catch even a glimpse of what Natsu was talking about. All she could even piece together was lunchtime, during which she and Shuuhei ate together, though it was typically in an awkward silence and lately others had been joining them. They had homeroom, Composition, and Phys. Ed. together as well, but… "What are you talking about!" she demanded again, unaware of her twitching eye.

"Um, well…" Natsu leaned backwards as Arisu more or less shoved her face towards her, creating an uncomfortable closeness between them. "Well, I was talking to Nageri the other day and…"

That was all that needed to be said. Slapping a hand to her forehead, the redhead groaned loudly as she slid it down her face miserably. "Those stupid…" The Bakin siblings were just screwing around with her now. To everyone else it might have just been innocent gossip, but this was Kaihin High School, and this was Bakin Shikatsu and Nageri. It was never as simple as gossip at this school, especially when those two were involved.

"Your face is turning red."

Once again, Arisu slapped a hand to her face, though she allowed it to linger there, as though hoping it would awaken her from a horrid nightmare.

"Daitokuji! Wazuka! Quit standin' around and get runnin'! Money isn't gonna buy you out of running this time!" Wincing at the demand of their less than merciful teacher, the two picked up their running once more, though at a slower speed than before. Natsu continued looking over at Arisu worriedly, though there was a hint of suspicion and curiosity in her glances. Arisu, on the other hand, kept her eyes straight in front of her, her lips set into a thin line.

When they finally reached the finish line, in which they happened to be dead last, Sasagawa-sensei was kind enough to give them a five minute water break before moving on to the next activity. Instantly dropping to the ground, which was strange in itself since she'd typically have screeched at anyone who suggested sitting on the dirt, Arisu fell back on her extended arms and attempted to catch her breath. She didn't even budge when a shadow fell over her, assuming that it was Natsu, who had previously gone off to fetch a water bottle. She extended one of her arms upwards, holding out a palm expectantly.

"Uh, need help getting up?"

The unexpectedly masculine voice caused her to both jump and squeak, a reaction that added to the redness in her cheeks (the main reason being the caster of the shadow). "Oh, um, my bad. I thought you were Natsu," she exclaimed lamely, dropping her hand to the ground. She quickly averted her eyes from Shuuhei's gaze, choosing instead to stare at a dying tree. "So you're a pretty quick runner, huh?" she managed lamely, forcing her eyes away from a falling leaf to look up at him.

Shuuhei bore a small grin, which, once again, managed to weird her out. "It's easier to do if you're not concentrating on the task at hand."

Despite his comment sounding like an advisory, she couldn't help but scoff. "I hate running," she repeated, running her fingers through her damp bangs. Cringing at the sweat, she swept them out of her eyes and leaned back on both palms. "'Far as I know, nothing cures loathing."

He opened his mouth to reply, but before anything came out, Natsu strolled up to them, two water bottles in hand. "Sorry that took so long. Momoe was blocking the vending machine with her horde of cronies…" Her words trailed off when she realized that her friend wasn't alone, and she found herself staring unabashedly at a now-uncomfortable-looking Shuuhei. "Oh, ah, sorry, Hisagi-san. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation." She looked down at Arisu harshly, as though scolding her for not warning her, but she merely shrugged.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured, offering a smile. The brunette's reaction to his smile almost mirrored that of Arisu's, though she recovered quickly and beamed at him. "You're… Wazuka Natsu. You're in my homeroom and Composition class."

Natsu's cheeks lit up as she nodded enthusiastically; Arisu managed to hold back her desire to gag. "Y-yes! I'm Arisu's friend."

The subject in question noticed the male glance at her, and while most others might have regarded it as nothing, she knew better; he was probably thinking, "You have friends?" "Yes, I have friends!" she wanted to shout indignantly, though the claim would have been truth only in the loosest terms. Arisu had plenty people-who-didn't-want-to-get-in-her-way-so-they-sucked-up-to-her and she had numerous people-who-were-nice-because-they-had-ulterior-motives, but actual friends? She only bestowed that title upon one person, and that one person was probably the most humane individual in the school. Wazuka Natsu was definitely rich, and boy was she spoiled (being an only child with a doting father would do that to a person), but she was naive in a way that really differentiated her from the others. She was actually considerate of the feelings of others and she actually thought about what she was wanted to say before saying it.

In her mind, it only made sense to befriend the one person who was the least like her.

"Alright slackers, get up! Into the gym!" Sasagawa waved them in with his clipboard, holding the door open only for a moment before disappearing inside. Slowly, but gradually, the students filed in, with Shuuhei, Arisu, and Natsu at the end of the queue.

"She's nice," Shuuhei commented nonchalantly as the brunette ran ahead to throw away her Evian bottle.

Arisu glanced up at him, both eyebrows raised. "Heh, funny. She said the same thing about you."

"You almost make it sound as though that's a _bad_ thing to say about someone." She caught his eyes, and he wore a small, unreadable smile.

The corners of her lips curled downwards in reply. "Well, when you've been going to this school as long as I have, you learn that that comment's pretty generic." Her words replayed in her mind, and a look of horror momentarily struck her face when she realized she had semi-insulted him (and Natsu, but she wasn't here at the moment so it didn't particularly matter). "Ah, I mean, that's how it typically it is. Not that you - or her - or… Ugh." She slapped a hand to her face for about the twentieth time that period.

Rather than looking insulted, Shuuhei merely chuckled, which succeeded in both shocking and embarrassing her. "W-what?" she demanded, trying suppress the burning in her face.

He shook his head, and again he smiled in a way that completely confused her. "The way you talk about this school makes it seem very two dimensional, but from what I've seen it's a lot more complex than that." The frown that seemed to be permanently etched into her face only deepened, expressing her befuddlement. "Don't think about it too much," he said, now in a teasing manner.

"Ehh… That's probably what it's like for a newcomer, but…" She folded her arms across her chest and glowered at the few who dared to even glimpse back at the two of them. Instantly they shifted their attention forward, their giggles and whispers poorly concealed. "To us, everyone's the same."

"'Us,' or you?" She shifted her gaze up to him just in time to catch a curious glint in his eyes. The corner of his lips were still quirked upwards, though she could hardly define it as a smile. A shiver coursed down her spine and she averted her eyes to the front, once again feeling uneasy.

"Uh, so, how were your classes this morning?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

He shrugged. "Boring."

From what she heard from others (as she only had three classes with him), Hisagi Shuuhei was fairly intelligent. He knew what he was talking about, he executed fairly difficult problems with ease, and he was a rare breed in that he didn't flaunt his intelligence. While most of the kids in Kaihin were just spoiled brats who passed because their parents paid for their grades, a good number were legitimately smart, but they made it known. According to the gossip and rumors, Shuuhei was surprisingly modest.

"Though…" His brow furrowed for a moment as he trailed off, once again drawing in her curiosity and confusion.

"Though…?" she inquired, hoping to draw out more from him.

He shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Oh come ooon," she chided, sticking out her lower lip in a pout. "You can't just say that and then stop!"

Shuuhei laughed, both at her expression and her comment, and shook his head again. "No, it was just one of those… random thoughts. Forget it, it's not important." Silence draped over them for a moment as they walked through the hallway, towards the main gym. "This is probably the longest conversation we've had." She looked up at him, surprise evident on her face, and she caught the friendly smile on his face. She stuttered, unsure of how to respond at all; he, in turn, laughed again and ruffled her hair before walking ahead into the gym. "Don't think about it too much," he repeated before he disappeared into the crowd.

Absolutely dumbstruck, Arisu gaped at him, her feet stuck to the floor. She was in the same position moments later when Natsu walked up to her. "Hey, I was looking for you and… Are you alright? What happened to your hair?"

As if snapped out of a reverie, the redhead shook her head from side to side before adamantly fixing her hair, grumbling under her breath. She walked passed Natsu with heavy strides, glowering at everyone in her way. Natsu blinked in confusion before running to catch up with her seething friend, who hadn't ceased her muttering. "Did I… miss something?"

As much as she wanted to shout and scream at the top of her lungs, Arisu wasn't even sure if she could find an answer to that. All she knew now was that her peaceful reign in Kaihin High School was no longer as simple as it used to be.

…

"Good job, guys. All of you have improved, but remember to practice everyday if you want to improve your technique." Offering the class an uncharacteristically warm smile, Arisu walked off the floor and took a seat in one of the waiting chairs in order to remove her pointe shoes.

"Goodnight, Arisu-sensei!" one of the girls chirped as she took her father's hand.

"G'night, Mayumi-chan," she replied, still smiling, as she placed one shoe off to the side. She bade goodbye to the rest of the students and their parents as they filed out of the studio, until Yuzu took the empty seat beside her. "Is your ride here yet, Yuzu-chan?" she asked as she stood up to place her shoes in her hundred dollar Vera Bradley duffel bag.

The light-haired Kurosaki shook her head, her lower lip stuck out in a pout that almost made Arisu want to hug her. "Ichi-nii's supposed to pick me up today since Daddy's still at work, but…"

Arisu looked around at the empty studio and bit back a sigh. On Fridays, Amamiya had "things of great importance" to tend to, so Arisu got to look after the entire herself for the afternoon. She didn't particularly mind, but today was a special case, as she was both physically exhausted (thanks to one Sasagawa-sensei's idea of a "fun" hockey game) and mentally drained (thanks to her stupid tutoring sessions for chemistry). Still, she probably wouldn't have left poor Yuzu-chan alone with Amamiya (she wasn't _that_ selfish) anyways, and maybe a long walk would clear her mind and realign her back. "If you want, I can walk you home, Yuzu-chan," she offered.

Yuzu looked up at her with open-mouthed awe. "Are you sure, Arisu-sensei? You probably have somewhere important to go."

"Nah, it's fine. It'll give me something to do before I have to do homework," she reassured with a grin, adjusting her bag's strap as she swung it over her shoulder. "Come on, you don't live too far away from here anyways. I can't just leave you here, and your good-for-nothing brother's probably out being a hooligan." Nodding enthusiastically (more at the prospect of going home and not waiting than at the comment directed towards her brother), Yuzu hopped off the seat, grabbed her own bag, and followed Arisu out of the studio. After locking the door, the two bounded down the street, towards the Kurosaki household, with Yuzu pointing out directions.

"Do you have a brother, Arisu-sensei?" Yuzu questioned, breaking the silence.

"Mhm. I have two, actually. Both of them are older than me," she answered with a nod. "The oldest is Seiichi, but… he's out of town a lot 'cause of his job. And then there's Kichiro, who's a mechanic… Oh, and I have a sister, too, but she's really not that important."

"What about your parents?"

"They live in Yokohama."

Yuzu's eyes widened in disbelief as her lips formed the shape of an "o." "Wow, they let you live all by yourself?"

Arisu laughed. "Our parents own a business in Yokohama, so they can't move to Karakura, and they really wanted us to go to Kaihin. Besides, Seiichi's twenty-eight, so it's like living under an adult anyways." She decided to leave out the fact that Seiichi was rarely at home and that Kichiro and Mika acted like five-year-olds.

"Ichi-nii told me your school's really expensive."

"Well… Yeah, I guess it is." In all honesty, she had no idea how much her parents were paying for her to go to Kaihin every year, but she figured it was't all that important so she didn't question it. The money wasn't that big of a deal anyways, was it? "Don't believe everything your onii-chan tells you, though - it's not full of a bunch of spoiled rich kids who are jerks to everyone," she enforced, almost jokingly considering the blatant lie, as she wagged her finger at Yuzu.

Yuzu's face lit up as she bobbed her head enthusiastically. "Of course not! Daddy always told me to never judge someone before getting to know them. Besides, you're not a jerk, Arisu-sensei."

Just imagining the look on Ichigo's face if he had heard that made Arisu want to burst out laughing. Before, she could say anything, Yuzu pointed to a modest-looking house and went running up to it, motioning for Arisu to join her. "Here it is! C'mon!"

As much as she didn't want to see Ichigo at this point in time, just running off would have resulted in at least a tid bit of guilt, so she slowly followed Yuzu until they were both standing on the porch, waiting for someone to answer the door. There was a sudden shout from within, thoroughly startling Arisu, but when she looked down she found that Yuzu looked as serene as ever. Several more shouts, including various expletives, followed until the door was finally thrust open by an irate Ichigo, whose expression only darkened upon seeing her. "What the hell are you doing here?" Was it just her imagination or did his breathing sound heavy?

"Only escorting your poor sister home," she responded evenly, arms folded across her chest. "Geez, Kurosaki-baka, I knew you were useless, but I didn't think you were heartless."

Ichigo glared at her, but gave his sister an apologetic look. "Shoot, I totally forgot you were at ballet. Sorry, Yuzu."

"It's okay! I got to talk with Arisu-sensei!" Yuzu beamed. "She doesn't seem vindictive or cruel at all!" She skipped in merrily as Arisu matched Ichigo's glare with one of her own, only one of her eyes was twitching dangerously. "Arisu-sensei, why don't you stay for dinner? It looks like Ichi-nii's having a party!"

"Oh, uh, no th-"

"It's not a party if the guests were never invited in the first place," he responded, his voice loud enough for whoever was in the living room to hear.

"Ichigooo~! Who's at the door?" a feminine voice rang.

"Is this a picture from when you were a child? … Amazing, you had the same stupid look on your face back then."

"Ooo, do you want help cooking, Yuzu-chan?"

"Ahh, Rangiku-san, maybe you shouldn't touch-"

**CRASH.**

Forgetting that Arisu was still standing at the door, the berryhead went racing back into the house, a look of pure fury on his face. "What the hell! What are you guys doing- Really? Really, the _vase_?" In one swift moment, a whole family (or what appeared to be a whole family) was ushered out of the door before Ichigo slammed it shut with an indignant, "Get outta here!"

Arisu, who had stumbled backwards due to the plethora of bodies being pushed towards her, blinked in confusion. "Hisagi-san?"

"Huh?" The dark-haired individual turned to face her, confusion written across his own face. "Daitokuji? What are you doing here?"

"I was… walking Yuzu-chan home. She dances at the ballet studio I teach at," she answered in an oddly even voice. Honestly, she was still trying to figure out what was going on, and her brain was refusing to work with her at this moment in time.

"Ah," was his simple reply. He looked just as flabbergasted as her.

"And your friends with Kurosaki?"

"Ahhh… Yes," he replied eventually.

She only nodded her head. "Okay… Uh, well, bye." She spun on her feet, more than ready to hit her bed after such a bizarre day, but a force suddenly grabbed her and spun her around. "Woah! What the-"

"Are you one of Shuuhei's friends?" Arisu blinked and reeled backwards at the woman who leaned in towards her, a large grin plastered to her face. The strawberry blonde left her with no time to respond, however, and continued with an onslaught of questions: "Have you been nice to him? Have others been nice to him? Do you eat with him at lunch? Is he social? Did you know he's really smart? He can be shy sometimes, but…"

"Ah, Rangiku-san…" Shuuhei lightly grabbed her arm and pulled her back, giving her look that hinted at Arisu's obvious confusion and discomfort. "This is my… cousin." He seemed to cringe at the term, but Arisu just disregarded it as her imagination. "She's the one I live with. Rangiku-san, this is Daitokuji Arisu." He glanced over his shoulder at the other three who had been kicked out of the house, all of whom were standing around awkwardly. "Err, the other girl is Orihime; she's the other one I live with. The one with glasses is Ishida and the other is Sado."

"Nice to… meet you. I guess." Judging by their uniforms, they all went to Karakura High. Which meant that she _probably_ wanted nothing to do with them.

"Would you like to come to dinner with us?" Rangiku asked, still beaming.

"N-no, thanks," she stuttered, rather overwhelmed by her friendliness. "I have to get home. I have a curfew," she ended lamely.

"That's too bad." She pouted for a moment before grinning again. "Well, that offer's open anytime! I'd love to get to know friend of Shuuhei's!"

She and the male exchanged a quick look, one that obviously questioned their "friendship," before she slowly nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sure. See ya." Raising a hand out of politeness, Arisu spun around and slowly trotted away, a million questions still running through her head.

In the end, she could only conclude one thing: _"What a weird guy."_

_

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_Closing Song:_ "Ai Ta Kokoro" - UVERworld

* * *

Again, I can't even begin to thank all of you who have read, reviewed, alerted, etc. this story, especially during its _huuuuuge_ hiatus. School is starting up soon, and it'll be my freshman year of college, but I promise I'll work as hard as I can to crank out the upcoming chapters!

Thank you all so much! :'D


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